I Miss My 5!!!!!!!!

[MD5]

I had the ACL in my left knee replaced on Friday, August 11th, and I didn't drive for over a week. When I started therapy on Tuesday, I had to drive the wife's Excursion because it's an auto and the 5 is a manual.

Don't get me wrong, the Excursion is a nice vehicle with all the options, but I just like Zoom-Zooming around in the 5. I get about 17 mpg in the Excursion, but average about 25 in the 5. With regular unleaded cheaper than diesel, the 5 is more practical to drive.

Matt

 

[was98strat]

You have my sympathies. driving an Auto sucks!! Specially when you like to drive manual! I bet the dealership gave you a hard time when you requested that tranny! mine did! They asked me about 5 times if I was sure I wanted a MTX!

Swift recovery !

 

[opus]

Every car dealer in the world will tell you not to buy a MTX. The reason is the fewer major variations on a vehicle that there are, the fewer vehicles the dealer has to stock. It would be really interesting to see what percentage of 5's are being sold with the MTX and what percentage have the ATX.

I also found out an interesting fact a couple of years ago. The NHTSA requires automakers to run twice as many crash tests if they want to offer both an automatic and a manual transmission. They feel that changing the transmission is a substantial enough change to warrant a full extra set of crash tests. This of course incresases the automakers costs substantially and therefore we see far fewer manual transmission vehicles. This is in addition to most American drivers haveing a hell of a time drinking their coffee, talking on their cell phones and shifting at the same time .

 

[P_bouchr]

lol @ opus last line! I totally agree...

But even though I haven't driven an ATX on the 5, the MTX probably really gives it the "zoom zoom" it needs to be interesting to drive .

Ever drove a Jetta/golf VR6 with a manual transmission. Whoa .

MTX rules .

 

[was98strat]

lol @ opus last line! I totally agree...

But even though I haven't driven an ATX on the 5, the MTX probably really gives it the "zoom zoom" it needs to be interesting to drive .

Ever drove a Jetta/golf VR6 with a manual transmission. Whoa .

MTX rules .

Agreed, I'm not exactly old (33) but I know 2 people other than my family (no one in my family drives anything but MTX) that can either drive an MTX or choose to. Most people I know or work with seem to beleive that diving MTX is too difficult. I've always beleived that ATX transmissions are largely responsible for alot of the bad driving you see on the roads. You're not as connected to the car when you aren't shifting!

ATX transmissions are also (I beleive) not as safe in the snow! It's really difficult to "rock" a car out of a snow rut with an ATX.

besides REAL drivers use MTX! (hehe)

 

[jlk_250]

I know how you feel! I had to drive a rental Dodge Neon with an automatic while my car was being repaired after a deer strike. Yuk!

The primary reason for owning the two vehicles we have (my Subaru Forester and my wife's Mz5) is the availability of a manual transmission. Fortunately they are both excellent vehicles that suit our needs very well. But if not for the availability of those two with MT in the US... She'd have ended up with a Dodge Caravan and would not be pleased about it.

Jon

 

[doctorz]

But even though I haven't driven an ATX on the 5, the MTX probably really gives it the "zoom zoom" it needs to be interesting to drive .

We test drove both. Compared to the manual, the automatic really does feel like a slug.

 

[Zoom5Zoom]

Did someone call.....zoom zoom MTX rocks ATX need to learn to drive

 

[MD5]

I still don't like the way my wife drives the 5. I could almost hear it sigh when I took it back over.

She presses the gas before engaging the clutch, and jerks the car. I'm just glad I'm the one driving it now.

Matt

 

[RallyeRedSi]

this thread Rox, MTX for life

 

[MD5]

Not to be sexist, but a friend of mine owns two shops, one that specializes in Honda/Acura and one for Toyota/Lexus. He told me that he sees that women usually need a clutch in 80k miles, whereas men can go 140k before needing a replacement.

No bias here, just customer observations.

Matt

 

[tsunami]

good luck on the acl reconstruction it sucks and my knees will never be the same...

glad to hear you are back in the 5 mtx ftw!!!

 

[Stamperman]

I also found out an interesting fact a couple of years ago. The NHTSA requires automakers to run twice as many crash tests if they want to offer both an automatic and a manual transmission.

THe NHTSA requires a crash for just about everything. If a car is manufactured with an adjustable steering wheel, then a car has to be crashed with the wheel placed in every position. That might be excessive, but I'd rather that happen than not.

 

[jmcglynn]

...The NHTSA requires automakers to run twice as many crash tests if they want to offer both an automatic and a manual transmission...

Wow... who knew? But it does explain a lot of how the market seems to keep leaving us shifties behind. It's just another example of the US Government subtly controlling the market in the favor or the domestics. Not that it would help, but I have a mind to write a stearnly written letter to the NHTSA (who by the way hasn't seen fit to crash test the M5 yet...).

 

[astacy]

Not to be sexist, but a friend of mine owns two shops, one that specializes in Honda/Acura and one for Toyota/Lexus. He told me that he sees that women usually need a clutch in 80k miles, whereas men can go 140k before needing a replacement.

No bias here, just customer observations.

Matt

Ouch - I object! I've driven manuals for 24 years now (with the exception of an '80 VW Rabbit automatic - who knew VW even made autos that long ago? I bought it used; but I digress), and I've only had to replace one clutch in all that time. That was on my '89 Dodge Colt, a year after my husband took it over. So I blame him.

 

[MD5]

Ouch - I object! I've driven manuals for 24 years now (with the exception of an '80 VW Rabbit automatic - who knew VW even made autos that long ago? I bought it used; but I digress), and I've only had to replace one clutch in all that time. That was on my '89 Dodge Colt, a year after my husband took it over. So I blame him.

Oh Puh-Lease!

That's like asking someone to open a jar after you've "loosened" it.

You probably tore the car up, and it just happened to give out on your hubby!

(omg)


Matt

 

[astacy]

Oh Puh-Lease!

That's like asking someone to open a jar after you've "loosened" it.

You probably tore the car up, and it just happened to give out on your hubby!

(omg)


Matt

Even so, the car was 12 years old with 120,000 miles at that point. So whose point does this prove?(ughdance)